Salar de Uyuni - Deserts, deserts, and more deserts

Hmmm .... How do you describe something that is actually indescribable? I think in the last few days we have never seen a natural spectacle like the salt deserts of Bolivia. But see for yourself! We packed a lot of pictures for you and recommend that everyone must see this place at least once in their life! But now back to our trip ;)

Day 1:

Our tour started comfortably on Monday morning at 10.30 am in Uyuni. So we loaded our jeep with our luggage, water, and snacks and, as expected, a box of wine for the evenings. Together with the two Germans, Irini and David, and a Japanese couple, we set off towards Salar de Uyuni. The first stop took us outside the city to a train cemetery. Here we found old retired locomotives and wagons that we were allowed to climb and explore. The retired trains were used to transport mineral ores to Chile and have since been replaced by more modern trains. After a twenty-minute stay, we returned to the jeep and headed straight to the salt desert. Arriving there, we were able to marvel at the masses of jeeps that accompanied us to the first stopping point. Somewhat confused but still overwhelmed by the first impression of the salt desert, we looked beyond the jeeps and quickly found a few suitable photo spots for the first pictures with our little T-Rex. Time passed, and after 15 minutes, we continued with the jeep to a hotel/restaurant in the middle of the salt desert. There we had lunch and, of course, plenty of time to take more pictures. From there, we headed deeper into the Salar. We drove and drove, and the salt desert transformed. It eventually started to mirror the sky. An impressive natural spectacle caused by a layer of water on the salt surface. We felt closer to the sky than ever before! Indescribable! We drove all day, making intermittent stops for pictures and, of course, to play a round of soccer. Irini had just bought a ball! A good idea to pass the time ;) At the end of the day, we reached the "end" of the desert and enjoyed a beautiful sunset, with a bottle of wine, on the roof of the jeep. After nightfall, we drove on a dusty road to our first sleeping place. However, strong winds came up halfway, causing us to stop because we couldn't see anything anymore. We felt like we were in the middle of a sandstorm. Fortunately, the wind died down again, and we could continue our journey. Upon arrival at the location, we had a delicious dinner. Satiated, we went for a short night walk to admire the starry sky and, of course, take some pictures of it! To cope with the cold of the night, we made use of the excellent heating properties of a wine! A magnificent starry sky, together with a good bottle of wine! What more could one ask for! Tired from the day, after a hot shower, we went to bed around midnight in a hotel made entirely of salt. Tomorrow, we have to start early again.

Day 2:

The next morning, the alarm went off at 6 o'clock. Breakfast was at 6:30, and we left again around 7 o'clock to explore the next sights. Our first stop was rock formations where we could test our climbing skills again before heading to the first lagoons. In total, we visited four different lagoons, each with different salts and different colors. There we also found flamingos surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges and landscapes. After the lagoons, we drove to the famous stone tree, which was formed by lava and erosion. There, David and Marius climbed the surrounding rocks and enjoyed the view from above! From a distance, we could see the first dark clouds, indicating bad weather. On the way to the next viewpoint, Laguna Colorado, it suddenly started to hail/snow. After a few quick snapshots, we then went to the last sight of the tour, the geysers. They reminded us of a crazy lunar landscape. It bubbled and simmered out of the holes in the ground, and with the snowstorm, the place was perfect for a good horror movie. From the abyss of hell, we continued to our second sleeping place, which was right by a lake with hot springs. At first, organizing the sleeping place caused a little problem because there weren't enough rooms available. But to not miss out on the hot springs, we decided to stay six in a four-bed room. Everyone was satisfied, and we started the evening comfortably. Before dinner, we opened the first bottle of wine, and during dinner, we drank enthusiastically. After the meal, in high spirits and amazed by the tour, we went to the hot springs, where we ended the evening in the pool with plenty of alcohol and singing together with other tour groups. What an excellent way to end the day!

Day 3:

The next morning, we had a quick breakfast before setting off again around 7 o'clock to complete the last stops of the tour. We visited Laguna Verde, where Irini built her first stone tower. Then we headed to the border with Chile. On the way there, we made a short stop at Dalí's lookout for his famous artwork "The Melting Clocks," which was unfortunately surrounded by fog but still offered a magnificent and hungover sight. Arriving at the border, we said goodbye to the others as Irini and David continued traveling north. So our journey together ended here, and after some waiting, we got on the bus that would take us to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. Arriving in San Pedro, we just checked into our hostel room and chilled for the rest of the day.

See you soon, and more information from Chile will be coming soon.

Greetings Max and Marius